Scrappy Genealogist Updates

07 May 2011

Genealogy Organization - May 2011 - A Fresh Start

Spring is a time for new beginnings. I am so thankful for the change of years, seasons, months and days. Each change gives us a chance to start fresh. This month I am picking up again with DearMYRTLE’s Organization Checklist. After spinning my wheels fast and furiously over the last couple of months, it will be a good to dig back into getting my genealogical stuff organized. Who wants to join me? Let’s get going!

There are lots of reasons to visit the May Organization Checklist. Ol' Myrt shares about May Day and the grandmother after whom she was named. Using a pickle recipe she explains the difference between a transcription and an abstract. What a great way to simplify a sometimes difficult concept. Also included this month is a book recommendation, which I have already purchased, and resources for preserving fabric heirlooms. Based on the many recommendations this month, here is what Scrappy Gen will be doing.

MAY DAY – Back It Up!

I have written about my personal backup plan before, but it is always good to have a reminder. If you haven’t backed up your stuff, go do it now. We just had the first of our seasonal thunderstorms here in New England, and it was a doozy, complete with large hail. Don’t wait until after lightning zaps your stuff to back up. Although I have written about my backups, I haven’t backed up the Scrappy Genealogist in quite a while. Just did it. It took all of sixty seconds. DearMYRTLE shows you exactly how to do it.

Scan Original Heirloom Paper Items

Ol’ Myrt shared her Grandma’s famous pickle recipe. It got me thinking about the stack of recipe booklets, cards, notebooks and scraps of paper my sister shared with me last month. The recipes belonged to my paternal grandmother, but this one probably belonged to her mother.

The pages are yellowed and oily and wouldn't last a day of use in my kitchen. This month I am going to scan the rest of the pages. Wish me luck. If you need moral support to get scanning, head over to Scanfest at AnceStories on Sunday, May 22nd from 2-5 PM.

Ol' Myrt used Legacy to show us how to do this. If you have Legacy and struggle with this, check out her demo. It looks pretty simple.

At NEHGS in April, Legacy had a phenomenal deal and I purchased a copy to try. I confess that I have not even opened the package yet. So my goal in May will be to open up Legacy and try it out. Currently many of my heirloom scans are in one generic folder labeled with my Dad's name because they belong to his ancestors. That is really pretty dopey so I will copy the heirloom paper scans to each of the respective person folders on my computer. The current folder holding these paper copies will be renamed with a scan place and date. When I am ready to upload the images to my chosen software, Legacy or other, it will be much easier if they are already attached to people.

Create an Ancestor Display

Scrappy Gen loves ancestor displays! It makes some people uncomfortable, but gives me a feeling of peace and security. I love having them watching us. Here is the display in our dining room. This is a good month to add a few new faces.

I have several ideas in mind for this and will share more later this month. One possible idea involves my Great Great Grandmother Sarah's grave.Whew! It feels good to get going and have a plan. Thank you so much Myrt for all you do!